Innehållsförteckning för 2022-09-26 från Cape Argus

Education Minister Angie Motshekga recently faced a parliamentary question about whether her department had put any mechanisms in place to ensure that learners were not able to access pornographic content on their school-provided tablets. This question, posed by the DA, followed a disturbing study by the Youth Research Unit of Unisa’s Bureau for Market Research which found that more than half of young South African children were regularly watching pornography online. The alarming levels of porn addiction among young people are believed to be driven predominantly by their increasing access to smartphones and tablets. According to the study − which is based on a survey of South African children under 18 years of age – more than 55% of those surveyed watched pornography regularly, while 10% watched it every day.…

With the national Grade 12 exams just under our noses, the stress on South Africa’s learners is ramping up. Many will probably experience stress, which is part of the exam process. Increasing your chances of success in exams goes beyond academic readiness. It is also about ensuring that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally ready for exams, said Old Mutual senior manager for education, Kanyisa Diamond. This will require seeking out available resources. “Advice and support is always available and can range from assistance on making changes to your routines to help you cope, to understanding how to avoid stress or depression. Old Mutual supports the drive for mental wellness by working with organisations such as LoveLife, the Centre for Mental Wellness and Leadership and the South African…

AFTER months of increased shark presence and alerts in Plettenberg Bay and the Southern Cape coastline, a 39-year-old mother from Cape Town was killed by a shark at Central Beach early yesterday. Plettenberg Bay beaches were closed by the Bitou Municipality. This was the second fatal shark attack to occur in Plettenberg Bay within three months. In June, Plettenberg Bay businessman Bruce Wolov was killed by a shark at one of the town’s popular swimming beaches, Sanctuary Beach. Since May, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has been issuing shark alerts and calling on beach users to exercise caution due to the increased inshore shark activity observed along the Southern Cape coastline from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay, and the Eastern Cape coastline from Storms River, Tsitsikamma to Jeffreys Bay.…

Former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa’s long-running legal dispute with lawyers at top law firm, ENS Africa, and a former state lawyer for alleged misconduct is set to be heard by the Legal Practice Council (LPC) today. The LPC’s investigating committee has summoned ENS Africa attorneys Senzo Mbatha and Tumi Modubu and former Joburg-based state attorney, Aubrey Milford, to its inquiry into a high stakes mining rights’ dispute of international dimensions. The dispute is between Russia’s Transasia Minerals and Umsobomvu Coal, owned by local businessman Hector Kunene. Phosa wants the LPC to investigate the conduct of ENS Africa and take disciplinary action against Mbatha and Modubu whom he accuses of fraud, conflict of interest, corruption and extortion, all of which the ENS attorneys and Milford have denied. Phosa accuses Milford…

Youth, civil society and citizens took to the streets of Cape Town on Saturday to march for urgent action on the unfolding climate crisis and transformation of the country’s economic and social systems. The protesters said these matters had led to interlinking crises of income inequality, water and food insecurity, as well as environmental breakdowns. The Heritage Day protest was organised by the youth-led African Climate Alliance under the banner #MarchforSystemChange. It was supported by several civil society organisations including Extinction Rebellion Cape Town and the Green Connection and formed part of Cape Town Climate Week, which started last Monday. Outside Parliament, activist and presenter for the march Zipho Majova said: “For far too long the rights and well-being of people and this planet have been sidelined for the purpose…

KENYAN great Eliud Kipchoge smashed his own world marathon record by 30 seconds by winning the Berlin Marathon in two hours, one minute and nine seconds yesterday. At the halfway point, the back-to-back Olympic champion in Rio and Tokyo looked set to become the first man to officially run under the elusive two-hour mark. But despite slowing slightly, the 37-year-old held on to best his own record from Berlin in 2018. After the race, he credited his team for the result. “I was so happy with my preparation,” Kipchoge told German television. “The world record is because of real team work.” Asked if he was already planning on coming back to Berlin to take on the two-hour mark, Kipchoge said he was focused on celebrating his achievement. “Let us plan…

AT THE recent Transforming Education Summit in New York, activists, including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, called for world leaders to prioritise school systems and restore educational budgets that had been cut. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened the summit, which saw more than 130 countries commit to “rebooting” their education systems and “accelerating” action to end the learning crisis. The summit, led by the UN secretary-general and Unesco, the UN specialised agency for education, rallied world leaders around actions to achieve the global objective of quality education for all by 2030. It was convened in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance, against the backdrop of a learning crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yousafzai urged countries to devote 20%…

Fans of eerie offerings will enjoy The Black Phone, which sees Ethan Hawke cast as a terrifying villain. And, I do mean terrifying. As the seasoned actor draws close to his almost four-decade career in Hollywood, Hawke can be proud of the work he has done. He has taken on complex and enigmatic characters and played them with commendable finesse. In this coming-of-age supernatural horror, he is cast as The Grabber, who is a psychotic child abductor and serial killer. The premise centres on Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a teenager who is often bullied at school. Thankfully, his friend Robin Arellano (Miguel Cazarez Mora) often helps fend them off. Finney lives with his sister Gwen, who has psychic abilities, and his aloof alcoholic father Terrence (Jeremy Davies). Although Gwen has…

Father shoots wife and daughter, son flees Four quick gunshots ripped through the stillness of the early morning and neighbours were soon to learn of a family murder that took the lives of three members. Only one, the son, escaped the bloodbath in the normally quiet neighbourhood of Oakdene in Kuils River. Forensic personnel and police investigators were still busy at 111 Old Nooiensfontein Road, Oakdene, Kuils River, yesterday morning, piecing together what had led 48-year-old Hilton van Zyl to kill his wife Anastasia, 44, and daughter Cassidy, 15. He had also tried to kill his son, 23, but the son escaped and the father then turned the gun on himself, committing suicide. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed that Kuils River police were investigating two counts of murder and…

Two people injured in a fire that erupted inside an eatery on the corner of Plein and Victoria Streets in Woodstock have died in hospital. One of the men was the owner of SR Superette Retail and Wholesale shop, the other an employee. Both were admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital after sustaining 70% to 100% burn wounds but died on Saturday. A fire that broke out in the outlet was followed by several secondary explosions. A vehicle was also damaged. Groote Schuur Hospital spokesperson Alaric Jacobs confirmed the deaths but could not divulge their cause. Preliminary investigations however indicated that the fire was caused by a gas leak after two 48kg gas canisters were found on the premises. The City said the use of 48kg gas bottles inside premises was…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos was left a “happy coach” following his team’s 4-0 thrashing of Sierra Leone on Saturday, but he wants them to maintain their current form in front of goal when they host Botswana at the same FNB Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. While the matches are nothing more than friendlies, they will serve as vital experimentation and practice for Bafana ahead of the resumption of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in early 2023. “The negativity around Bafana Bafana was so big that we really needed a win,” said Belgian Broos. “What was important is not only the performance on the pitch, but also the chances we had and the goals we scored. “We won a lot of confidence. I hope that the team will do…

AUSTRALIA’S Jack Miller powered to an emphatic victory at Motegi yesterday in the first Japanese MotoGP since 2019 on a day to forget for the title contenders. The Ducati rider stormed from seventh place on the starting grid to clinch his fourth MotoGP victory, taking the chequered flag by more than three seconds from South Africa’s Brad Binder. Spain’s Jorge Martin was third. Reigning world champion and current leader Fabio Quartararo on a Yamaha was best-placed of the trio of title hopefuls when he came eighth, extending his lead to 18 points with four races to go. But his chief rival Francesco Bagnaia had a nightmare, crashing on the last lap as he attempted to overtake the Frenchman. Aleix Espargaro also fell further behind in the title chase after suffering…

A recent survey conducted with more than 1 200 teachers from all teaching levels has found that 81% of teachers feel overwhelmed and hopeless in the classroom when faced with children who have learning difficulties. The survey, conducted by Scientology Volunteer Ministers, was carried out over several months with educators from all levels, including college professors, who were asked about the difficulties they encounter in teaching and supporting learners. According to Sandile Hlayisi, one of the surveyors, the educators expressed more difficulty in offering pupil support than in content delivery. Pupil support is a broad subject that focuses on what the teacher or instructor can or should do to help pupils beyond the formal delivery of content, or skills development. Hlayisi said educators expressed difficulty when they had to support…

GAUTENG police have confirmed the arrest of two suspects, said to be linked to the July 2022 Nomzamo tavern shooting, which resulted in the death of 16 patrons and seven injuries. In the early hours of July 10, assailants, believed to be Basotho nationals, stormed KwaMdlalose tavern in Nomzamo, Orlando East, in Soweto and randomly opened fire on those inside. This arrest of the two suspects comes after the release of names of the suspected killers last month. National SAPS spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the two were rounded up on Thursday by National Crime Intelligence officers. One suspect pointed out the whereabouts of the second suspect. The suspect was handed over to Gauteng’s Murder and Robbery Investigating Team. He then led the team to one of his accomplices who was…

The Albertinia community in the Southern Cape is in an uproar following the arrest of a 53-year-old man who hid the bodies of 9-year-old Jacorine Maurelia Vaaltyn and 10-year-old Sharon Arries in his shack after he had suffocated them. Police confirmed the suspect had been arrested on Friday after the gruesome discovery of the two little girls’ bodies at the suspect’s residence in Jan Fiskaal Street on Thursday evening. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said: “A 53-year-old suspect … was arrested within 12 hours after he escaped the claws of a mob of community members who formed part of a search party following the activation of the police’s 72-hour activation plan.” Initial reports indicated the girls had been suffocated. One of the victims had been stuffed into a blue plastic drum,…

Members of Parliament’s inquiry into suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office are concerned that the process has taken longer than expected, and some have laid the blame for the delays at the feet of Mkhwebane’s legal team. The process was originally meant to have concluded at the end of this month, but has been interrupted by breaks to allow Mkhwebane to lodge applications in court to scrap the hearings. The MPs’ complaints follow the recusal application lodged by Mkhwebane’s lawyer, advocate Dali Mpofu, last week against committee chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi (ANC) and member Kevin Mileham (DA). On Wednesday, Mpofu said he had 12 grounds for Dyantyi’s recusal, and that Mileham should recuse himself from the committee based on the fact that he was married to DA MP…

SPRINGBOK captain Siya Kolisi admitted the Rugby Championship title was lost at Ellis Park against the All Blacks, and that his team were always going to struggle to salvage it in Durban by beating Argentina by 39 points. The Boks started the championship in fine style by thumping the Kiwis in Nelspruit, but they inexplicably surrendered the momentum a week later when the All Blacks were there for the taking. There was tinkering with selections, including the crime of benching Malcolm Max after he had been magnificent at Mbombela Stadium. Also, collectively the Boks just didn’t pitch for the game and that lack of killer instinct torpedoed their championship ambitions and is a worry ahead of next year’s World Cup in France. Still, if they could have at least kept…

FORMER Springbok rugby coach Rassie Erasmus is expected to be back with the South African squad on their end-of-year northern hemisphere tour as a lengthy ban from attending matches comes to an end. Erasmus, now South Africa’s director of rugby, has been unable to be with his long-time lieutenant Jacques Nienaber, the current coach, since being handed a ban by World Rugby in November last year. The ban ends on Friday. World Rugby found Erasmus guilty on six charges relating to criticism of Australian referee Nic Berry after the first Test against the British & Irish Lions in July 2021, which included the release of an hour-long video in which he analysed what he claimed were numerous mistakes by Berry. The ban prohibited Erasmus from entering venues or having any…